Vehicle-spring.



Patented May 4, 1915.

anion.

anrnnn steam, or sr. tours, mssonai.

VEHICLE-SPRING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May a; 1915.

Application filed August 3, 1914. Serial No. 854,684.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ALFRED M. LANE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of St. Louis and State of Missouri, have invented new and useful Improvements in Vehicle-Springs, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to vehicle springs, particularly to that type generally lmown as leaf springs.

One disadvantage incident to the use of leaf springs on vehicles is that the leaves of the spring'are quite liable to become dry in use and squeak. In order to prevent this squeaking, it is common practice to lubricate the leaves of the springs, but it is diflicult to get the lubricant between the leaves without spreading them apart by laboriously jacking up the vehicle, and even then, the lubricant is soon pressed out from between the leaves.

My invention'has for its principal object to overcome this disadvantage above noted by providing a spring in which a lubricant will be automatically supplied between the leaves of the spring, and in which the leaves are so constructed as to retain the lubricant between them to a greatextent.

The invention consists in a leaf spring in which the leaves are provided with communicating oil grooves and with oil cups or reservoirs adapted to supply oil to said oil grooves.

The invention further consists in the construction of the leaves, and in certain features of the construction, arrangements and combinations of parts, which will be more fully set forth hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawing which forms part of this specification, and in which like symbols refer to like parts throughout, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a little more thanhalf of a leaf spring embodying the invention; Fig. 2 is a fragmentary top plan view of one of the leaves of the spring, showing the oil grooves therein; Fig. 3 is a. section taken on'the line 33 on Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a fragmentary top plan view of one of the leaves of the spring, showing a modified construction; and Fig.

5 is a vertical transverse section through two leaves, showing the modified construction.

The spring shown in the accompanying drawing is of the well-known semi-elliptic type and consists of a plurality' of resilient strips or leaves 1 held together flatwise by a fastening at the middle of the spring, said leaves increasing in length from the bottom leaf 2 to the top leaf 3. The top leaf 3 has'each end portion thereof bent to form a scroll or roll 4, which is adapted to receive the bolt which secures the spring to the shackle or hanger (not shown).

Only a little more than half of the spring is shown, but the construction of each half is the same, and a description of one half will suflice for both. Referring tothe construction shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, each of the leaves 1, except the top leaf 3, has an upwardly projecting flange 5 along each longitudinal edge thereof. Each of the leaves 1, except the bottom leaf 2, is undercut to form a rabbet 6 in its under face along each longitudinal edge thereof. The flanges 5 of the bottom leaf 2 fit into the rabbets 6 in the under face of the leaf next above it, and in the same way the flanges 5 of each leaf in turn fit into the rabbets 6 in the leaf next above it, as shown to the best advantage in Fig. 3.

In the upper face of each leaf, except the top leaf 3, is a main oil groove 7 which vextends longitudinally of .said leaf from a point near one end of the leaf to a point near its middle. Tn each leaf 1, except the bottom leaf 2, is a hole 8 which leads from the main oil groove 7 in that leaf to the main oil groove 7 in the leaf next below it at a point near the outer end of the last mentioned oil groove. In each leaf 1, except the top leaf 3, are auxiliary oil grooves 7, which extend from the main oil groove 7 toward the longitudinal edges of said leaf. These auxiliary oil grooves '7 are smaller than the main oil groove 7, and preferably incline inwardly toward the middle of the spring. Near the end of the spring is an oil cup 9 which is fastened to the top leaf 3 and communicates with hole 8 in said top leaf. The oil cup 9 may project upwardly, as shown, or sidewise, according to which position is the most convenient to fill it.

In the modified construction shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the flanges 5 and the rabbets 6 are omitted. Each leaf, except the top leaf 3, has a small groove 10, which extends around it near its edge. In thegroove 10 is loosely fitted a small wire 11 which is preferably of hardened steel, and which has its ends brought together to form a closed loop.

Referring to the lubrication of one half of the springg oil-from the oil cup 9 either flows down by gravity or is forced from said oil cup through the hole 8 in the top leaf?) into the main'groove 7 in the leaf next below said top leaf. The oil runs down said main groove 7 into the auxiliary oil grooves 7 and spreads over said leaf next below the top leaf, the spreading of the oil being aided by the movement of said leaves relative to each other when the spring vibrates in use. The oil in the main groove 7 in the leaf next below the top leaf 3 passes through the hole 8 in said first named leaf into the main groove 7 in the leaf next below it; and, in the same way, oil is supplied to each of the leaves in turn.

The main grooves 7 and holes .8 in-the different leaves are preferably proportioned in cross-section according to the area of the respective leaves which is to be oiled. In other words, theholes 8 and the main grooves 7 decrease in size from the top leaf 3 to the bottom leaf 2. Thus, under ordinary conditions, the oil from the oil cup 9 will spread out through all of the oil grooves in the leaf next below the top leaf 3 before much oil passes to the leaf next below said first mentioned leaf, and so on in the case of each leaf.

In the construction shown in Figs. 1,2

and 3, the flanges 5 of the leaves to a great extent prevent the oil from working out from between the leaves, and also cooperate with the rabbets 6 tohold the leaves from moving sidewise out of their proper relative positions. In the construction shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the wire 11 acts as a barrier or dam for preventing the oil from being all pressed out from between the leaves. Also,

the groove 10 in each leaf helps to distribute the oil around that leaf.

The same construction which is shown and described may be used for full-elliptic springs as well as for semi-elliptic springs,

and it is apparent that other changes may be made in the particular construction shown and described without departing from the invention. I do not wish, however, to be limited to the details of that particular construction.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A leaf spring comprising a plurality of leaves, each 0 said leaves except the top leaf having an upwardly projecting flange extending along each longitudinal edge thereof, each of said leaves except the bottom leaf having a rabbet in its under face along each longitudinal edge thereof, the flanges of each leaf being fitted tightly in the rabbets of the leaf next above it, thereby positively preventing sidewise movement of said leaves relatively to each other, each of said leaves except the top leaf having oil grooves in its upper face extending fromeach end ofsaid leaf to a point near the middle thereof, each of said leaves except the bottom leaf having holes therein except the top leaf having auxiliary oil grooves leading obliquely from said main oil groove on each side thereof transversely of said leaf, each of said leaves except the bottom leaf having holes therein communicating with the main oil grooves, said holes and said main oil grooves decreasing in cross-section from the top'leaf to the bottom leaf, and means adjacent to the edges of each leaf for retaining the lubricant between said leaves, said last-mentioned means projecting above the surface of said leaf in which said oil grooves are located.

3. A leaf. spring comprising a plurality of leaves, said leaves being provided with oil grooves and having holes therein connecting the oil grooves of adjacent leaves, and means adjacent to the edges of each leaf for retaining oil between the leaves, said means projecting above the surface of said leaf in which said oil 'grooves are located.

Signed at St. Louis, Missouri, this 31st day of July, 1914. 1

p ALFRED M. LANE. Witnesses NEIL D. PRESTON, MARTHA A. SHELTON. 

